Our Approach

The women’s group model has recently been highlighted as a simple, effective intervention that has led to a significant improvement in the level of maternal and child death, in a number of low income countries. Trials undertaken in Bangladesh, India, Malawi, and Nepal found that women’s groups practicing a cycle of learning and action in which they are active participants, improved maternal and neonatal survival in low-resource settings at low cost, and should be considered as a core strategy to complement efforts made to improve maternal and newborn care.

In Sierra Leone, antenatal, delivery, and postnatal experiences for women often take place in communities rather than in healthcare facilities, so it is important that strategies to improve maternal and child health, involve the community. Community mobilization is increasingly being recognized as an important determinant in the improvement of maternal and child health. Although a diverse range of interventions, including the Sierra Leone Government’s recent contributions to significant improvements in the healthcare system as a whole, challenges remain in maternal, reproductive and child health. As a consequence mothers and children continue to suffer.